Owoboriomo: Leadership culture of hedonism

Owoboriomo is a Yoruba coinage from Omoboriowo. Omoboriowo is a complex philosophical term reflecting aspects of Yoruba culture enshrined in the superiority of idealism including noble character and/or profound integrity over unbridled materialism and greed. This defines the Yoruba essence down the ages. However, this is not exclusively in the sphere of Yoruba world-view or cosmology. Indeed, it is a pan-African philosophy. But when a person has a fetish about materialism, by assuming that material acquisitions including money, houses, cars and physical comforts are the main defining characteristics of vibrant, successful life and living, then he has degenerated into the level of sub-humanity. Consequently, such a person is in the domain of Owoboriomo -the reverse of Omoboriowo. In the African world, social and spiritual values must never be sacrificed on the altar of greed and materialism. There are other concepts like Omoluabi and Iwarere which centre on noble character. We cannot have our cake and eat it!

Unfortunately, the Owoboriomo syndrome is gaining in popularity, among such government appointees as governors, senators, ministers, commissioners, advisers and special assistants. They are generally guilty of hypocrisy and mendacity. This is worsened by the Nigerian culture of uncritical conservatism, silence in the face of tyranny, fear of authority and blind partisanship. These behavioural traits keep creativity, innovation and development at bay. There is mass starvation in the land, despite the fine statistics being given by the federal government on a daily basis. These figures will remain in the domains of deception, empty rhetoric and abstraction, until for example, the price of a bag of rice goes down to between N7000 and N8000 that it was before 2015. This is the common man’s index of an improved economy.

Fears and insecurities arising largely from the activities of the untamed, notorious Fulani herdsmen and their mercenaries as well as kidnappers now characterise contemporary Nigeria. How do we begin to heal the wounds-agonies and traumas inflicted on the Tiv people among other ethnicities in the country? The danger of the current state of insecurity is cumulative. It has far-reaching consequences for the survival of the country. Nigeria, given its enviable, vibrant human capital and natural resources coupled with world-class cultural heritages, is supposed to be the central shaper of the directions of major storylines and by extension, progress in Africa. But are the political leaders broad-minded, sincere and patriotic enough to play this role? Do they have moral, ideological precepts to guide their political engineering? This is food for thought! Without mincing words, Nigeria is on the brink of disintegration. Therefore, a philosopher-king is most desirable for the system that is in a coma. That is to say, a leader who has the capacity to right the wrongs.

It is a pity that Nigeria is being managed by politicians and political appointees who, out of sheer greed, self-interest on a monumental scale, materialism and desperation do not think that many things are wrong. They will neither shut their mouths nor resign, despite the abominable stench coming from the government’s space. Such people do not care a hoot, so long as each one of them is able to continue to amass a fortune at the expense of the Nigerian masses. This scenario leads to their descent from vibrant life and living embedded in integrity to sub-humanity with all its crudities. Such people would certainly be consigned to historical oblivion in the final analysis. It is a big plus for former military president- Babangida for drawing a few days ago, the attention of President Buhari to some of the weaknesses of this administration.

Indeed, those who are trivialising Obasanjo’s recent letter to President Buhari need to do a rethink. I feel that his letter was timely and patriotic in several respects. Nigerians must begin to focus on issues instead of sentiments. We should assess the message and worry less about the messenger otherwise the killings and maiming of innocent Nigerians would go on unabated. Thus, for example, as some right-thinking Nigerians were busy developing a model for an architecture of sustainable peace via ranching, in line with global best practices, the federal government shocked the nation again, with the idea of cattle colonies. Cattle colonies are a concrete/material signature of cultural (Fulani) colonisation, a socio-political time bomb for Nigeria. The country is being asked to move willy-nilly, out of the frying pan into the fire. OBJ’s letter is a legitimate attempt to halt the drift towards war in Nigeria. A stitch in time saves nine!

It is painful to note here, that a few state governors, out of personal aggrandisement and unthinkable callousness, went to President Buhari to encourage him to contest the up-coming election. This was at a time, when fellow Nigerians of Tiv extraction, were being killed and maimed in Benue State by the ‘powerful’ Fulani herdsmen and their sponsors. These governors are merely playing politics of the belly. They did not like the President. They were just attempting to use him like a tool, a behavioural trait that is at variance with Kantian philosophy. These miserable politicians want to retain their seats or go to Senate later. Some of them are feigning affection for Buhari, with the belief rightly or wrongly, that EFCC would not check their finances later. These are chronic Owoboriomo politicians, because they have sacrificed their conscience on the altar of unbridled materialism, mindless hedonism and self-indulgence.

All those presidential aides carrying their weight about in an unpatriotic, callous manner must remember that no condition is permanent. For how long can they continue to brazen it out? Godlessness is an anathema to wisdom and no nation or country can experience good governance and/or make progress when its leadership, is bereft of great ideas/or wisdom. Currently, a wave of nausea envelopes Nigeria even as the Inspector General of Police appears to be on the horns of a dilemma, due largely to a paternalistic federal government. Given this situation, the central administration should expect tougher speeches from the suffering masses. Some of them are now refugees in their fatherland, as a result of failed political leadership. This was not the change Nigerians voted for in 2015, when Muhammadu Buhari became the president of the most populous country in the black world.

Professor Ogundele is of Dept. of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Ibadan.